In order to determine the concentrations of a variety of elements, such as potassium, sodium, lithium, calcium, and barium, flame photometers use the principle of atomic excitation and de-excitation, which is followed by the emission of light. In certain ranges, the intensity of the light emission is directly proportional to the number of atoms of that type that are present in the sample. This relationship holds true over a wide range. This subfield of atomic spectroscopy is also familiar to some people by the name flame atomic emission spectroscopy. This method of measurement is a particularly useful alternative to colorimetric photometry for elements like sodium that do not produce colored compounds. One example of such an element is sodium. Flame photometry is still useful in a wide variety of clinical and industrial applications, despite the fact that its use is not nearly as widespread as it once was.
Different varieties of flame photometers
Flame photometers all operate according to the same basic principle, but there are some key distinctions between the various models on the market. Some of them can only monitor the levels of a couple of different components because they have a restricted number of filters. The clinical (research) and industrial models of the flame photometers offered by many manufacturers come equipped with specific features that are tailored to meet the demands of their respective applications. The readings of the clinical models' Sodium and Potassium levels can be displayed in mmol/l, which is required for the primary function of the clinical models, which is to monitor the levels of these elements in plasma. The industrial models display the results directly in ppm, whereas the clinical models have in-built linearizer circuitry.
Flame photometers have the capability of measuring emissions from a number of different atoms, but they are unable to measure all of the emissions at the same time. Single channel and dual channel instruments are the most common types, and the terminology for these types of instruments refers to the number of ions that can be measured at the same time. The capability of dual channel instruments to measure two parameters simultaneously without the need to re-calibrate the instrument in between measurements is one of the benefits of having such instruments. When measuring a new parameter with a model that only has one channel, you will need to re-calibrate the model. However, the more straightforward models with a single channel have a lower price tag.
The following specifications are needed for the popular Jenway PFP7 and PFP7/C models:
The air compressor requires that you choose the appropriate voltage that corresponds to that of the unit.
220V/50Hz air compressor 110V/60Hz air compressor
Compressor manufactured by Jenway for use in the PFP7
In order to control the amount of pressure that is applied to the fuel that is being fed into the flame photometer, you will need a gas regulator. You will need to determine which gas supply regulator is appropriate for your system, and the following choices are available to you:
Required accessories
Many of the models of flame photometers that are currently available call for the purchase of a number of accessories that are essential to the operation of the unit but must be done so separately. These will be slightly different depending on the power and gas supply that you have.
In order to perform the process of calibrating the unit, you will need calibration standards. Because the unit measures using a comparative method, the quality and purity of the standards that are used will have a direct impact on the accuracy and performance of the unit. In order to prevent errors in readings caused by contamination, Flame photometer need to have their calibration checked on a regular basis, and standards need to be treated with the utmost care when being handled. It is recommended that a mold inhibitor such as an azide be added to the standards if they are going to be stored at high temperatures or for longer periods of time. If this has the component of interest, then it needs to be included in the sample that is going to be measured as well so that the results are not skewed. It is also recommended that a wetting agent (such as Decon 90) be added to the standards in order to encourage the machine to clean itself. Any agent that is used should be non-ionic and its concentration should never be higher than 3 parts per million. In addition to that, this ought to be included in the samples at the same concentration. There are options for calibration standards in the form of ppm and mmol/l.
It is strongly suggested to use a water separator in order to eliminate any trace amounts of water that may be present in the compressed air supply.
The relative humidity of the area will determine the required capacity of the water separator. When there is a high amount of humidity, the large water separator is the one that is suggested to use.
It is strongly recommended to use a fuel filter in order to prevent any particles from the fuel supply from entering the mixing chamber.
Advice for filling out applications:
On our site, you can find a number of other posts that discuss the numerous uses for flame photometers:
Potassium in soil
Calcium in milk
In addition to providing maintenance and calibration, we also stock a variety of replacement parts for the different flame photometer models.
In addition, the service department at drawellanalytical. com provides contracts for annual calibration and maintenance services. During the duration of the contract, you will receive a discount of 10% on any necessary spare parts purchased by you. Please get in touch with us so that we can provide further information regarding the servicing options we offer.
Remember me
Comments (0)